The present invention relates generally to the manufacture and handling of micro-objects such as shaped tool heads or tips, and more particularly to the manufacture of miniature tools incorporating or consisting of shaped structures.
Manufacturing and other processes pertaining to scanning probe microscopy, nanomachining, micromachining, machining, optics, biotechnology, and biomedicine often require highly specialized miniature tools. Such tools typically consist of a shaped tool head formed and parted from a diamond or other hard material workpiece and mounted on a body or handle. Depending on the particular application, the spatial orientation of the tool head relative to the tool body, once mounted thereupon, may be critical to the usefulness of the miniature tool.
Execution of present methods for handling, aligning and mounting small structures, particularly structures smaller then 200 microns (referred to as micro-objects), is highly difficult and often results in uncertain orientation of the fine tool head structure relative to the tool body. Additionally, the miniature tool head, once separated from the workpiece from which it is formed or lapped, is easily misplaced in an attempt at further manipulation. Additionally, present methods employed in attempts at miniature tool head mass production are unable to provide consistently accurate precision in cutting or parting off the tool head. Finally, present methods do not satisfactorily enable determining the sharpness or fineness of the tool head prior to its mounting to the tool body.